1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital camera and an image displaying method. More particularly, this invention relates to printing information displaying technics in a digital camera with a print order function in which numbers of prints to be produced and the like of images obtained by shooting can be designated.
2. Description of Related Art
In a digital camera, an image obtained by shooting is recorded in a memory built in the camera or a recording medium (a removable medium) such as a detachable IC card or the like as digital image data. The recorded image can not only be displayed on a displaying device such as a liquid crystal monitor but also printed with a personal printer for domestic use or the like. The digital photo print service, for printing out images recorded in the recording medium taken by a user and providing the prints for the user, has recently started.
Japanese patent provisional publication No. 10-126724 discloses an apparatus that displays a list of digital images shot by a digital camera on a monitor for the user to designate images to be printed.
In silver halide photographing, a photo system, in which the number of prints to be produced and titles are recorded in magnetic recording layer of a photo film as magnetic information and the magnetic information is read to be used for a printing processing, has been proposed. For example, Japanese patent provisional publication No. 8-9315 discloses an apparatus that reads images recorded on a developed film having a magnetic recording layer with a line sensor and displays the film images on a monitor, and discloses a method of adding and editing print order information with reference to a list of the images in the film cartridge displayed with the apparatus.
In the conventional digital cameras, however, if print number information of the images is set, it is difficult to realize which image has been designated to be printed, and it is difficult to realize whether one print has been designated or a plurality of prints has been designated, and it is difficult to realize which image has been printed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera and an image displaying method in which it is easy to realize whether or not an image has been designated to be printed, and it is easy to realize whether or not a plurality of prints have been designated, and it is easy to realize whether or not an image has been printed.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a digital camera which images a subject image with an imaging device and records image data obtained by the imaging in a recording medium, the digital camera comprising: a displaying device that displays an image obtained through the imaging device or an image stored in the recording medium; a printing information adding device that adds printing information with respect to an image to be recorded in the recording medium or an image stored in the recording medium; and a display controlling device that displays the image obtained through the imaging device or the image stored in the recording medium and one or more images on a screen of the displaying device according to the printing information, the display controlling device displaying figures on the screen with respect to images that have been designated for printing according to the printing information.
According to the present invention, when the image obtained through the imaging device or the image stored in the recording medium is displayed on the screen of the displaying device, the printing information of the image is referred to, and the display is changed according to the printing information. The figures are displayed with respect to the images that have been designated for printing. Therefore, the user can easily realize whether or not the images have been designated for printing only by looking at the images on the screen.
The display controlling device displays the images that have been designated for printing with frames and/or shades, and thus the images that have been designated for printing can be differentiated from the images that have not been designated for printing.
The display controlling device cascade-displays images that have been designated for a plurality of prints as if the plurality of prints were piled up. The cascade display makes it easier for the user to realize that the images have been designated for the plurality of prints. The display controlling device displays print numbers of the images that have been designated for printing.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a digital camera which images a subject image with an imaging device and records image data obtained by the imaging in a recording medium, the digital camera comprising: a displaying device that displays an image obtained through the imaging device or an image stored in the recording medium; a printing information adding device that adds printing information with respect to an image to be recorded in the recording medium or an image stored in the recording medium; and a display controlling device that displays the image obtained through the imaging device or the image stored in the recording medium and one or more images on a screen of the displaying device according to the printing information, the display controlling device displaying figures on the screen with respect to images that have been printed according to the printing information.
According to the present invention, when the image obtained through the imaging device or the image stored in the recording medium is displayed on the screen of the displaying device, the printing information of the image is referred to, and the display is changed according to the printing information. The figures are displayed with respect to the images that have been printed. Therefore, the user can easily realize whether or not the images have been printed only by looking at the images on the screen.
The display controlling device displays the images that have been printed with frames and/or shades.
The figures with respect to the images that have been designated for printing and the figures with respect to the images that have been printed may be displayed on one screen so that whether or not the images have been designated for printing and whether or not the images have been printing can be realized at one time.
The digital camera may have a built-in printing device that prints the image according to the image data recorded in the recording medium. If printing is performed with the built-in printing device, printing information indicating xe2x80x9cPRINTEDxe2x80x9d is added with respect to the image data of the printed image.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image displaying method of displaying an image with printing information or an image without printing information on a monitor, the image displaying method comprising the steps of: determining whether or not the image displayed on the monitor has been designated for printing according to the printing information; and changing display of the image displayed on the monitor diagrammatically according to the result of the determination so that it can be realized whether or not the image displayed on the monitor has been designated for printing. Only an image that has been designated for printing may be displayed with a frame and/or a shade, and an image that has been designated for a plurality of prints may be cascade-displayed as if the plurality of prints were piled up.
The number of prints that have been designated is displayed with the image whose display has been diagrammatically changed. Thus, the print number can be confirmed even if the plurality of prints have been designated.
The image displaying method further comprises the steps of: adding, changing or deleting the printing information with respect to the image displayed on the monitor; and recording the printing information in the recording medium with the image.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image displaying method of displaying an image with printing information or an image without printing information on a monitor, the image displaying method comprising the steps of: determining whether or not the image displayed on the monitor has been printed according to the printing information; and changing display of the image displayed on the monitor diagrammatically according to the result of the determination so that it can be realized whether or not the image displayed on the monitor has been printed. Only an image that has been printed may be displayed with a frame and/or a shade.